Deshler-Morris House
Also known as: Deshler House
Why it's listed
Built in 1772 in Germantown, Philadelphia, by David Deshler, a shipping merchant in the West Indies trade, this two and a half story rough-caste stone house has a central entrance hall, a rear wing, and a full cellar. Its plan is unusual for Germantown houses of its period. Interior features include Tidewater paneling in the downstairs hall, delft tiles in a rare mulberry color, Pennsylvania marble fireplaces, a stately staircase, and colored woodwork in French grey, blue-green, pale blue, and mahogany. After the Battle of Germantown, Sir William Howe made the house his headquarters. In 1793 and 1794, Colonel Isaac Frank, the owner, housed President George Washington and his cabinet there during the Yellow Fever Epidemic. The Morris family owned the house for much of the following century before it passed to the federal government in 1949 as a national shrine.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for its unusual plan for Germantown houses of the period, its interior woodwork and Tidewater paneling, and its associations with the Revolutionary War, with George Washington's presidency, and with the Morris family. It was left to the United States Government in 1949 as a national shrine.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 72000095, listed January 13, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 5442 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia |
|---|---|
| County | Philadelphia |
| Listed | January 13, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000095 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1772 |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Part of the Independence Hall National Park Project, per the document. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Colonial Germantown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.03371, -75.17241 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 72000095.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5552051
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.